Note 731 — THE THIRD VOYAGE NORTH-WARD TO THE KINGDOMES OF CATHAIA and China, in Anno 1596.

The 26 of June it still blew hard out of the south, and broke the ice whereunto we were fast in peeces, and we thereby draue into the sea, and could get no more to the fast ice, whereby we were in a thousand dangers to be all cast away; and driuing in yt sort in the sea, we rowed as much as we could, but we could not get neere vnto the land, therefore we hoysed vp our fock;731 and so made vp with our saile;732 but our fock-mast733 brake twice in peeces, and then it was worse for vs than before,734 and notwithstanding that there blew a great gale of wind, yet we were forced to hoyse vp our great sayle,735 but the wind blew so hard into it that if we had not presently taken it in againe we had sunke in the sea,736 or else our boate would haue bin filled with water [so that we must have sunk]; for the water began to leap ouer borde,737 and we were a good way in the sea, at which time the waues went so hollow [and so short] that it was most fearful, and we thereby saw nothing but death before our eyes, and euery twinckling of an eye lookt when we should sincke. But God, that had deliuered us out of so many dangers of death, holpe vs once againe, and contrary to our expectations sent vs a north-west wind, and so with great danger we got to ye fast ice againe. When we were deliuered out of that danger, and knew not where our other scute738 was, we sailed one mile [4 miles] along by the fast ice, but found it not, whereby we were wholy out of heart and in great feare yt they were drowned; at which time it was mistie weather. And so sailing along, and hearing no newes of our other scute,739 we shot of a musket, wh they hearing shot of another, but yet we could not see each other; meane time approaching nearer to each other, and the weather waxing somewhat cleerer, as we and they shot once againe, we saw the smoke of their peeces, and at last we met together againe, and saw them ly fast between driuing and fast ice. And when we got near unto them, we went ouer the ice and holp them to vnlade the goods out of their scute, and drew it ouer the ice, and with much paine and trouble brought it into the open water againe; and while they were fast in the ice, we740 found some wood vpon the land by the sea side, and when we lay by each other we sod741 some bread and water together and eate it vp warme, which did vs much good.